Funding boost for Northumberland dementia project

Ben O’Connell

A Northumberland-based community programme which offers activities and support to those living with dementia, has received a funding boost.

Curiosity Café, in Amble, whose main focus is to offer proactive ways to support people living with dementia, landed £500 of matched funding from Santander’s new Changemaker Fund.

It offers a specially-designed and inclusive programme of movement and visual arts by two professional artists with many years of specialist skills and experience.

The programme seeks to immerse those living with dementia and their carers in creative and social activities where the focus is not on dementia, but on creative possibility.

The additional funding will enable the Curiosity Café to tour around the area, providing a range of therapeutic activities to those in the region with dementia and who may not be able to access or visit the café.

Frances Anderson, director at Curiosity Café, said: “Through the Changemaker Fund, we have been able to expand our activity to other rural areas in Northumberland.

“We believe that there is a growing need for social activities for people living with dementia and we are grateful to Santander for helping us to offer our services to more people.”

The fund, which was launched at the end of last year as part of an innovative collaboration between Santander and a rewards-based crowdfunding platform, is designed to help social enterprises, small charities and other groups deliver projects that improve communities and help disadvantaged people to have confidence in the future.